This disclosure relates generally to guidewires, and more particularly, to a system and method of integrating trackable devices into guidewires for tracking the guidewires within vasculature of a body.
A guidewire typically includes a flexible wire to be positioned in an organ, vessel, or duct of a body for the purpose of directing passage of a larger device threaded over or along the length of the guidewire to a desired location in the vasculature of a body. A wide variety of guidewires have been developed for various applications including medical applications. Generally, guidewires are used to aid in the insertion of catheters or other devices into a body. During endovascular interventions, a guidewire is inserted into a body system such as the vascular system at a point of entry, which is usually a small percutaneous incision in the arm, leg or groin, and advanced to a desired location, typically under fluoroscopic guidance. Accurate positioning of the guidewire with respect to the vasculature is generally required for a successful procedure.
In some applications, a generally hollow cylindrical catheter is slipped over the guidewire and directed to the desired location by following the guidewire. The catheter doesn't have the stiffness or rigidity of the guidewire. The guidewire and catheter must be precisely and efficiently positioned at the desired location in order to most effectively treat the underlying medical condition.
There are clinical benefits to tracking the tip, a portion or entire length of a guidewire that is used in endovascular interventional applications. One benefit is that a user can more efficiently navigate a guidewire to a target site with the aid of a surgical navigation tracking system. Another benefit is that the tracking system will provide real-time location data of the guidewire to the user, requiring a lower radiation dose from the imaging apparatus.
Guidewires have been developed to include one or more trackable devices, such as microsensors, integrated within the guidewire. Surgical navigation systems may then be employed to track the tip, a portion or entire length of the guidewire by tracking the position and orientation of integrated microsensors, for example. A clinician may use the position and orientation information associated with the integrated microsensors in the guidewire to efficiently navigate the guidewire to a desired location within a body.
It is very difficult to incorporate trackable microsensors of high signal strength into devices of the sizes provided by typical guidewires having a diameter of less than a 1 mm. Additionally, trackable microsensors may require a shielded type of electrical connection (e.g., coax or twisted pair) with the surgical navigation tracking system to reduce the introduction of noise into the tracking signals. The microsensors must efficiently occupy the volume available to maximize signal strength without affecting the clinical and mechanical performance of the guidewire. The guidewire must be robust for the clinical applications contemplated and the trackable microsensors must have minimal impact on the mechanical performance of the guidewire, especially with regards to pushability and steerability.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a guidewire with the ability of coupling at least one trackable device into the guidewire for systematically navigating the guidewire to a desired location within a body and having minimal impact on the performance of the guidewire during clinical applications.